Zamfara Confirms 38 Cases Of Strange Illness In Shinkafi, Zurmi

The Zamfara State Government has confirmed 38 cases of an unidentified illness in Shinkafi and Zurmi Local Government Areas of the state.

The cases were recorded predominantly among adults in Shinkafi Local Government Area, with additional cases reported in Moriki, Zurmi Local Government Area as of October 29, 2026.

The confirmation was contained in a situation report from the state Ministry of Health’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) and in a statement signed by Suleiman Isah, Information and Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, on Saturday Morning.

According to the ministry, affected residents presented symptoms including fever, headache, loss of appetite, vomiting, body pains and general weakness.

The ministry said preliminary clinical assessments have identified malaria, gastroenteritis and meningitis as possible causes. Still, it noted that further laboratory investigations are required to establish the actual cause of the illness.

In response, the ministry has deployed a multidisciplinary emergency response team led by the Director of Public Health, Dr Yusuf Abubakar Shinkafi, to investigate the situation, strengthen disease surveillance and coordinate emergency response activities in the affected communities.

The ministry said the visiting medical teams are currently assessing patients in health facilities across Moriki and Shinkafi, providing essential drugs and medical consumables, while collecting clinical samples for laboratory investigations in Sokoto.

The ministry also disclosed that clinical samples had been collected and sent to Sokoto for further laboratory investigations to establish the cause of the illness.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Nafisa Muhammad Maradun, has urged residents of the affected communities to seek immediate medical attention when they experience any of the reported symptoms.

The ministry identified delayed presentation at health facilities, partly attributed to self-medication and reliance on home-based treatment, as a major challenge that could worsen patients’ conditions.

Efforts to get an update on whether there have been deaths and whether the number has increased beyond 38 proved abortive at press time. At the same time, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has yet to state the development.